Any Speedster owners got the Espar gas heater?

We are having some difficulty with where the Espar B1LC can be mounted.

This is the smaller gas heater.

It looks like up under the passengers kneew would be best but that puts the heater directly below the gas tank which isn't very appealing. I don't want it in the baggage area behind the seats because i fill that with luggage for our long trips.

I'd love to hear from some Speedster folks who have done this--and mainly pan based cars too.

Thanks for any advice!

I put mine in the front trunk ahead of the gas tank. However, I think I will move it someday to where you describe. At least one other person here, I think from BC, has one up by the passenger's knee. He posted pictures here a few years back.

Mine is tucked up under the dash on the passenger's side. I've got an access plate in the trunk to get to the glow-plug. The intake and exhaust run into the FR wheelwell. It should fit, regardless of whether the car is pan-based or not. You'll need to make mounting brackets, but nothing elaborate.

Jack's under dash radio kills the passenger under dash area for mounting. The unit can't be lifted high enough to fit behind the dash due to a 2" steel bar that runs behind the dash, just at the bottom..

Every area we have found is either physically impossible, a fire hazard, gets in the way of Jack's cross country stowage areas or looks like pure crap.

I thought they might fit above the transaxle.

Move the radio. Heat beats tunes every time.

Don't leave out the option to relocate and or change the size of the 2 x 2" horizontal steel dash bar,... i.e. it can be reconfigured as a 1" x 3" ..or other size(s) up against the underside of the dash or against the forward fire wall etc. ~Alan

Jack, my BN-2 is mounted above the passenger's knees on my Spyder. You can see it if you are sitting in the car but not from outside. It is right behind the gas tank area. On Spyders, the gas tank is mounted above a completely weatherproof fiberglass firewall/cowl. The outside of the heater never gets more than mildly warm, not even close to be concerned with. The heat outputs to a plastic pipe, so it can't get THAT hot. These heaters are designed to be mounted in the trunk, right on the carpet. The newer Espars are safer and probably run cooler than the old 60s versions.

http://picasaweb.google.com/113141911318945529670/Month20?authkey=Gv1sRgCNiK3Y6A0OKnvAE#

Like Mike said the larger BN2 and even BN4 would fit in DIY built compartment behind the rear seat/firewall. There's an area nearly 1'x2'x3' going to waste.

I like Mango's idea --- or even in front of that battery compartment.

Both are good if car is under construction - but a lot of demo on a completed car. Think I'd move the radio on yours.

Mango, not to hijack this thread, but I like that grommet you used for your heater exhaust pipe. Got the particulars? Silicone, right?
I had looked at your build picks before, but this time I REALLY looked. Great work, dude!

Mango,
Just went through your build photos, you have some genuine talent...... ~Alan

danny - the gasket was an OEM gas heater one. i think it is silicon.

and thanks for the compliments. From you two - that means a lot.

Mango, that really is some detailed craftsmanship you've put into that car. I like that you took the time to clean, polish and paint all of the bits before you installed them. And you're a pretty darned good hand at fabbing up little bits for those that didn't quite work the way you intended them to -- little bits of that are all over in those detail photos.
Mostly, I like how it all came together so cleanly. I'd have probably lost my damned mind.

Jack/Jake, how is the car set for space under the doors, in the longitudinal channels? In my car, the channels on both sides are wide open. If you were to fab up an aluminum box to keep the elements out, you might have enough room. You did say the unit wasn't very big, right? Plus, running the intake and exhaust would be cake.
Second thought on the same issue; how about space inside the tunnel, maybe? Is there enough clearance in there for a heater, if you made an access panel like Lane's (and everybody else's) Beck has?
I don't know how big the heater unit is, but it seems to be a single-event setup, with no maintenance except an annual check, right? I'd think it would be possible. Maybe ahead of the pedals, behind the frame head?

All good ideas. Right now we're thinking to put it where the radio is--lots of room there in the center section in the middle.
I can find a smaller radio or better yet use my new ipod for tunes.
I'll probably go with a smaller radio because I like to pick up the news when I'm in towns with lower RPMs and less noise.

I told Jake to make the call and just throw the radio in back and I'll deal with that later.

We'll see.

Nice to be working with someone you trust.

Hi Dad - Check this one out
http://www.casmfg.com/Secretaudio.htm

Optional method to get good heat:
Check out my heat mods article (see Knowledge Section) that works very well by routing the heat directly from good OEM style heater boxes into the tunnel, add a couple of round directional heat vents and that's all there is to it. ~Alan

Russ--that looks like what I need--thanks for the steer!

Alan--my problem is that the Type IV has no heater boxes so there is no heat to make better.

Russ & Jack,

That is what I installed.

Search for my posts and pictures.

Thanks, Michael---I like that approach. Looks pricey?

http://speedsterowners.com/forum/readmsg.asp?t=18010

Could mount heater over trans and use the center tunnel for the heat.

Did you put a seat heater pad in your seat cushions when you redid them?

Wolfgang---no, I didn't. I'm hoping the Espar will get the job done.

I am thinking it will extend my driving season plus take to chill of some early mornings in spring and fall during early and late summer.

Damn I miss CA!

Here's a nice 911 install with lots of pics

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/457982-modern-eberspacher-heater-installation.html

I finally read through this and think that the best place (rather than moving the radio head) would be above the transmission and between the rear seat back and the firewall. LOTS of open, unused space back there, easy to plumb the output into the regular heater/defroster channels and you could put an inlet in the side of the rear seat area for return air. That's pretty much what I'm doing with my new build, using a small Subaru heater-A/C unit back there in place of an ESPAR heater.

gn

Jack, about $280.

Jack,
I miss CA as well and I never lived there - hurry up Spring